Recently, a seminar for social workers, shelter staff, volunteers and psychologists who work with internally displaced persons in war conditions was held in Khust district. This is part of the systematic work carried out by the Medical Aid Committee in Zakarpattya as a co-coordinator of the Technical Working Group on Psychological Health and Psychosocial Support in the region.

The event was organized by the European Cooperative Longo Mai and the European Public Forum together with the CO "MACZ". The theoretical and practical modules of the seminar were accompanied by, among others, experienced psychologists from Switzerland and France – Marulla Hauswirth and Frédérique Drogoul. In particular, the experts shared their experience in dealing with traumatic events and loss. 

Along with the target audience from Zakarpattia, the seminar was attended by members of the CO "World to Ukrainians" (Zaporizhzhia), "People in Need SK" (Uzhhorod), and the NGO "Proliska". Shelter residents from the village of Nyzhnye Selyshche were invited to participate in some of the practices.

The intensive three-day program included a theoretical block, where the participants developed an understanding of the specific difficulties of displaced persons and the barriers that arose in the implementation of the requests of this category of citizens. Instead, the applied part of the training focused on creating specific intervention tools to support IDPs, namely techniques for optimizing viability and recovery, self-help and resource provision. Together with the trainers, the participants were able to identify for themselves the priorities for direct interaction with displaced persons, cooperation with sectoral agencies, and communication with public institutions that are taking care of civilians affected by the enemy aggression during the full-scale Russian invasion. An equally important issue raised by the participants was the preservation of their own life resource and the search for sources of its support.

The held seminar was useful in the context of building a systematic work of all interested specialists – both those who share their own positive experience and those who gain such experience. The common goal is to implement supervision of comprehensive social and psychological support for people integrated into the processes of social, humanitarian and psychological and therapeutic assistance to vulnerable populations.